The present invention relates to low vapor pressure multi-purpose solvents and in particular to a soy ester based multi-purpose solvent containing less than 25 Grams Per Liter (GPL) of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
Many known multi-purpose solvents used to remove paint, gum, tar and the like off carpet, tile, concrete, and various surfaces, contain hazardous ingredients such as Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), xylene, isopropyl alcohol, methanol, mak, butyl cellusolve, petroleum naptha, and toluene. While such multi-purpose solvents containing such ingredients perform adequately, the use of these hazardous ingredients is a major disadvantage, and multi-purpose solvents containing such ingredients are prohibited in government regulated areas when they include more than 25 GPL of VOCs. While acetone alone can be used as a multi-purpose solvent, it is too volatile for many surfaces when used alone. In hot areas, if acetone, for example, is applied to clean a surface, it can dry before completing the intended cleaning. Further, many multi-purpose solvents are flammable and present a significant risk of fire. Because multi-purpose solvents are widely used, a non-flammable multi-purpose solvent providing less than 25 GPL of VOCs is needed.